My favorite Blueberry Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

I LOVE cheesecake, it is not something I make very often because I do feel a little (just a little) guilty about eating all those calories. However it is one of my favorite desserts for Easter. This year, this cheesecake was gone in a flash, no leftovers, which is a really good thing (a little less guilt now). I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends do.

When making cheesecakes, alway bake at least a day or two before serving for added flavor. You can change my “blueberry sauce” to any type of fresh fruit you prefer, as well as the frozen fruit inside the cheesecake.

For sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, cornstarch, ¼ cup of water, sugar and lemon peel. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan.

In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl, if needed. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon reserved blueberry mixture over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan. Swirl batter with tip of knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake 75 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours before removing from pan and serving. Serve with blueberry sauce.

*To make cookie crumbs, place cookies in a plastic sealable and roll with a rolling pin until ground. If you have a food processor, place cookies in the bowl and process until finely ground.